Ponguleti Apologises for Section 22-A Prohibited Land List Errors

Hyderabad: Telangana Revenue Minister Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy issued an apology on Monday for the hardships faced by citizens due to outdated records in the Section 22-A prohibited land lists. Speaking at a press conference at the Secretariat in Hyderabad, the Minister attributed the issue to district officials continuing to rely on old prohibited property lists.

The Minister explained that official records had not been updated to reflect High Court orders that removed certain lands from the prohibited category. Consequently, those properties continued to remain on the prohibited list, preventing rightful owners from completing property registrations.

To address the issue, the State government will constitute a high-level committee that will meet every week to review applications and take decisions regarding Section 22-A lands. A dedicated toll-free helpline, 1800 5994788, has been launched to receive information and complaints on prohibited lands, with officials required to respond within three days.

Srinivas Reddy said that in cases where registrations cannot be processed, clear reasons will be communicated to the applicants. Any registration fee already paid by citizens in such cases will be refunded in accordance with government rules.

The Minister announced that a comprehensive report on Bhoodan lands across Telangana is being prepared to address pending disputes. The Urban Land Ceiling list is also being rectified, with directives issued to take corrective steps within two days.

Highlighting discrepancies in land records, Srinivas Reddy noted an instance in Ranga Reddy district where an entire 12-acre parcel was placed on the 22-A list, even though only two acres were classified as Bhoodan land. He said instructions have been issued to use geo-tagging to demarcate specific endowment and forest lands, allowing the remaining private plots to receive freehold status for registration.

In Hyderabad, officials have been directed to subdivide private lands in Alwyn Colony and Asbestos Colony to ensure hassle-free registrations. Disputed CS-7 and CS-14 lands, which have faced long-standing court litigation alongside local regularisations, will also be examined before final decisions are reached.

The announcements followed a review meeting at the Secretariat with Collectors, Additional Collectors, Revenue Divisional Officers, District Registrars, and Sub-Registrars from Hyderabad, Ranga Reddy, Sangareddy, and Medchal-Malkajgiri districts. Srinivas Reddy noted that 511 applications are pending in Medchal-Malkajgiri district alone, and instructed officials across other districts to clear all pending Section 22-A applications by the end of the month.